UVA in China:
Global Engagement at Home and Abroad

Chinese and non-Chinese students who live side by side at Hereford Residential College are invited to explore their diverse yet interconnected aspirations to become “global” through a series of focused discussions on Grounds, culminating in a week-long excursion to Shanghai over spring break. Starting in the 1950s and marching decade by decade through to the twenty-first century, the course aims to convey a comparative sense of the zeitgeist that prevailed in the US and China at key historical junctures. In Shanghai, students will be encouraged to apply three multiple registers of knowledge they cultivated over the semester—the panoramic lens of history, the zoom lens of anthropology, and the combined “native” and “non-native” perspectives within our group—to arrive at a complex understanding of Shanghai’s emergence as a “global city.” Upon return students will reassess the meaning of their own global aspirations and how they are embedded in national, regional and local imaginings.

student testimonial

"Even though I'm from China, going to Shanghai as part of a study abroad program made me sometimes feel like I was a foreigner. But it allowed me to start seeing things from completely different angles. I went to cultural and historical places I'd never been when traveling with my Chinese friends. After the ten seminars where I thoroughly learned the history, I started to rethink a lot of my old opinions and my identity. I know Hereford has a fairly large Chinese international students community and China is probably the most familiar country for them, but I think they can still learn and grow a lot from this program (just like myself).."
-Serena Jiao, 2018 participant

Location

Shanghai provides an ideal location for exploring the notion of China as a site of cross-cutting local, national and global processes. Students will spend time walking the city, meeting local experts, interacting with students from one of East China Normal University's Residential Colleges, and experiencing quotidian pleasures. A day trip to Suzhou will be planned where students can observe the city’s world renowned gardens in jarring juxtaposition to the forces of “development zone fever” that are rapidly engulfing the region.

Courses

GSGS 3676 Global Engagement at Home and Abroad
(2018 syllabus linked for reference, 2019 version forthcoming)
This is a three-credit course open to undergraduates in all years. Preference in admission will be given to students who reside at Hereford Residential College.

Course Objectives
By the end of the course, students will:

Become familiar with key symbols, social movements and identities that have shaped the lives of people living in the US and China from the mid-twentieth century to the present.

Acquire theoretical concepts to describe the changing global context within which China and the US are differentially embedded. As a culminating example, students will observe firsthand Shanghai’s ambitions to become a global city amid contemporary transnational flows of capital and people.

Cultivate an “anthropological sensibility” that contrasts with the more pervasive “global sensibility” in its use and understanding of the concept of culture. Rather than treating culture as synonymous with nationality or ethnicity, students will gain an anthropological understanding of culture with its emphasis on everyday life within intersecting fields of power and meaning.

Come to understand how their particular national location(s) shape their views of the world. At the same time, through cross-cultural interaction and travel, the course aims to lift students out of their national imaginings and propel them toward broader understandings of themselves and one another.

Faculty

Dr. Caren Freeman is a cultural anthropologist with extensive experience conducting ethnographic research in China and South Korea. She is the Director of Studies at Hereford Residential College and an International Student and Scholar Advisor in the ISO.

Yuting Huang

Yuting Huang is the Director of the Office of Academic Guidance and Overseas Study at Meng Xiancheng Residential College of East China Normal University. She obtained her Masters in Folklore from ECNU and joined Meng Xiancheng College in 2014.

Accommodation and Meals

Students will spend three nights in a centrally located hotel in the heart of the Bund in Shanghai, two nights at ECNU, and one night in a hotel on Suzhou's historic Pingjiang Streeet.

Cost and Financial Aid

The program cost and payment schedule are listed under the "Budget Sheets" link at the top of this page. Students with identifiable financial need are encouraged to apply for fellowships, scholarships, and financial aid.

Accessibility

The University of Virginia believes in providing reasonable accommodations for students with documented disabilities on an individual and flexible basis. This program typically involves significant time spent standing and walking each day, and navigating a variety of urban terrains and modes of transportation. If you believe that you would require adjustments in order to fully participate in this program, please contact the Student Disability Access Center at 434-243-5180 as early as possible in order to begin this dialogue.

Passport and Visa

All participants will need a valid passport in order to participate in the program. Students must ensure that their passport is valid at least six months past the program return date. US passport holders and most non-US passport holders will need a visa to participate in this program. The ISO will assist with the visa application process. International students should meet with their International Student Advisor in the International Studies Office for information about re-entering the U.S. at the conclusion of the program.

Health and Safety Information

All students considering Education Abroad should consult the Students Abroad section of the U.S. Department of State’s web-based travel resources and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Traveler’s Health web resources to research health, safety, and security conditions; visa requirements; immunization requirements; and recommendations on staying healthy and safe in their target destination(s). Students should also carefully review the UVA Education Abroad Health & Safety Abroad web page. Parents and guardians are strongly advised to review all of these resources, as well. UVA students and visiting students enrolled in UVA Education Abroad programs are subject to the University of Virginia’s Policy on Student International Travel.